7/9/2023 Route: Northwest Slopes Posted On: 7/9/2023, By: enoki Info: Basically summer conditions - a few small snow/ice patches that are easily avoided. |
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7/6/2023 Route: Northwest Slopes Posted On: 7/9/2023, By: triordie Info: Summer conditions. A couple of tiny snow patches on the last steep portion before the summit, easily avoidable. |
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7/1/2023 Route: East Slopes Posted On: 7/1/2023, By: MattDLane1 Info: Snow is mostly gone until ~ 750 feet of the summit. A few crossings that don't require spikes; however spikes would still be helpful. Within a few weeks should be entirely dry. |
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6/29/2023 Route: Northwest Slopes Posted On: 6/29/2023, By: FranDaly Info: Final pitch to summit mostly clear of snow. A few low angle snow fields that you can pass over with just trekking poles. No spikes required. |
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6/25/2023 Route: East Slopes Posted On: 6/25/2023, By: Peaks4Days Info: From treeline to summit the trail is dry for the lower half, but slowly gets more snowy after that. By the last mile below the summit, the trail is still completely snow'd out. This made for some nice glissading on the way down - but be prepared to get your feet wet. |
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6/25/2023 Route: Northwest Slopes Posted On: 6/26/2023, By: marksilas Info: The Crags Trail from the TH, and the Devils Playground Trail up to tree line have been cleared of downed trees. Thanks USFS. Didn't follow the Devils Playground Trail above the Playground because it was closed for the car race. The snow is melting fast. |
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6/25/2023 Route: Northwest Slopes Posted On: 6/27/2023, By: Always_Wear_Sunscreen Info: Climbed only to Devils Playground since trail was closed above that due to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race. There were only patches of snow and ice below Devils Playground; nothing that needed micro spikes. Talked to a race watcher that was at the summit the day before and he said the snow was about waist deep on the summit. |
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6/24/2023 Route: East Slopes Posted On: 6/24/2023, By: Buckie06 Info: Pretty clear until about 1.5 miles from the summit. I would not recommend going any further without spikes. With microspikes it was easy going on the trail until 13,200'. At this point a booter splits from the trail and goes straight up the steep gully to the summit. Most everyone was taking this and reported it being very steep and strenuous. We stayed on the actual trail with ease until 13,400' where we left the trail and scrambled up the dry rock ridge on lookers' left. It was very easy class 2+/3 all the way to about 100' below the summit where we just walked next to the train tracks to the top. Watching other hikers battle the steep snow gully looked rough. |
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6/20/2023 Route: Northwest Slopes Posted On: 6/21/2023, By: HokieTom Info: The hike from Crags TH was quiet but had a few issues with downed trees. Supportive snow started ~ 12,800 and I used the track of a snow shoe hiker (thanks!) I reached the road at Devils Playground feeling fresh after 2 days of summits to Shavano and Antero. Pikes was very doable. However, full sun was coming but I was determined to finish, so I slid on the micro spikes and carried on. The next 400 feet of elevation gain took nearly 2 hours due to post holing over my boot. I made the decision to stop before the last slope to the summit. My boots were soaked but my feet were not cold. I realized that I had at least another 1-2 hours to make it to the summit, then 4+ hours of descent time in worsening conditions. I made the right decision because below Devils Playground, I post holed to crotch levelhello. I made it down safely, wet feet but warm. As Arnold saysIll be back IMHO, hold off on Pikes for a week or so. |
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6/19/2023 Route: Northwest Slopes Posted On: 6/20/2023, By: laddymac Info: 6:15 start. First two miles are packed full of recently downed trees. Has caused people to create new trails to go around them. Snow still abounds from tree line up. Brought snowshoes and poles. Some faint remainders of previous tracks mostly covered by recent sleet storm. At 8am the snow was frozen and slick but would hold our weight. Snow shoes were not necessary until about 10am when melting caused the post holing to start. The final pitch to the summit is really steep and combined with loosening snow made for a challenge. The trip back was a slushfest. Breaking through on occasion to under snow streams. Poles were a lifesaver to avoid punching through and falling. Be prepared to have wet feet. Thankful to have brought extra socks. The fallen trees in the final return two miles were much harder to steeplechase and limbo under when we were fatigued. Save a little energy. |
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6/19/2023 Route: East Slopes Posted On: 6/20/2023, By: tjagger Info: The Barr trail is clear from the parking lot to the 3 mile corner. At this point, I decided to go off route up the trough to the left side. I used snowshoes from 12,800' to the cornice and onto the summit. I had numerous pole plunges and many times when one or both snow shoes, sank. I am using lightning ascents without any extenders. It took me three hours to go from trailhead to Barr Camp, 21/2 hours to get to three mile corner, 1 hour to get to about 12,800 and about 1.75 hours to get to the summit. However another group followed the broken trail and it took them 8 hours to get to the summit. While I admit I know the mountain, the heat and sun from Barr Camp to A-Frame while only 2.5 miles makes it a much slower haul. Start early and end early! |
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6/9/2023 Route: Northwest Slopes Posted On: 6/10/2023, By: gwright Info: Used snowshoes from 12500 all the way to summit. Tried micro spikes through devils playground but post holing began immediately. On the decent the snow turned to slush and was very difficult even in snowshoes as the snow wasnt firm enough to hold the weight. Snow is still plenty deep to make it a tough hike regardless of footwear. |
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6/7/2023 Route: East Slopes Posted On: 6/7/2023, By: tjagger Info: Very good trail for the first 8.5 miles, after the 3 mile sign the trail is very icy and one could easily get into serious trouble postholing, on trail from this point. I chose to go off route from 3 mile marker through the brush to a location East of Cabin creek by following a previous hikers down hill track and glissade from 12,300' to 12,950'. I encountered numerous pits and fell in thigh deep. I left this track and chose a continuous line of snow from the stream crossing to the left side of the cornice. After topping out at 13,950 I took a direct line to the summit house. From 13,000 feet I encountered consolidated snow which was up to 3 feet deep. Since I had a reservation on the COG train for a departure at 5pm, I was thinking about taking it slow. It was 25F on the summit. On my track above treeline I encountered lightning groupel and snow (with about 6 inches of new snow that fell from 11:00 am to 3:15pm). I enjoyed the climb above 13,000' since the snow was consolidated and I could use microspikes for traction. I was able to take the last train of the day when I arrived at the summit house just as it was about to leave. Just a warning, just because I could make it to the summit before my actual train left does not mean the train will run, in fact my train that was leaving the summit at 5pm was cancelled. I received a text notification of this fact at 2:45pm! At this point if I had missed the train my only option was to hole up in the hiker shelter underneath the summit house and hike down or take another train the next day. |
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6/6/2023 Route: Northwest Slopes Posted On: 6/9/2023, By: Meldufva Info: Snow was on the ground starting around 11700'. The trail was bootpacked in the morning, but turned to slush once the sun hit. Lots of post-holing. I used microspikes coming back on the traverse and down the slope to tree line. Once you make it to the road and past it the boot packed trail continues but disappears about half a mile along the road in the devils playground. It seems most bailed to the road and hiked it to the summit. Be warned: you are not actually allowed to hike the road. |
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5/28/2023 Route: East Slopes Posted On: 5/30/2023, By: bribaker2001 Info: Left Barr TH at 2:40am, made it to Barr Camp by 4:40am and first light, summited by 9:15am, made it back to Barr TH by 3:30pm. Wore summer clothes below Barr Camp, wore a couple clothing layers for above. Late Spring conditions treeline and above; snow on trail starting from the 7.5 mile marker to the summit. Bring spikes and poles for the way up; snowshoes didn't help. Be prepared to posthole down; again, snowshoes didn't help. Snow was frozen until about 9:00am; very soft after 10:00am. |
